All-ESD and DVC volleyball teams released along with All-LRC football squad
Senior Carter Jurrens and junior Emery Thury of Watertown and senior Grace Kiuch of Aberdeen Central each have been named to the 2023 All-Eastern South Dakota Conference volleyball team.
Jurrens, a 5-foot-10 senior middle blocker, has compiled 142 kills and nine solo and 64 block assists for the Arrows this season. Thury, a 5-8 junior outside hitter, leads the team with 328 kills along with 48 aces and 258 digs.
Kuch, a 6-0 senior outside hitter, tallied 206 kills and 183 digs before missing her team's last seven matches because of a knee injury. She is a repeat all-conference selection.
Watertown and Aberdeen Central each are scheduled to open play Thursday in the state Class AA volleyball tournament in Rapid City.
Watertown's Miranda Falconer, a 5-foot-5 senior setter, earned honorable mention on the all-conference squad. She has accumulated 48 aces, 174 digs and 944 assists to date.
The All-ESD teams includes sophomore Gabi Zachariasen of Harrisburg, a repeat selection, and senior Hamtyn Heinz of Huron, who received honorable mention on the squad last fall.
Other All-ESD players are senior Sydney Benson and sophomore Jayaunna Stroh of Brandon Valley, senior Sydney Bebensee of Brookings, junior Maggie Meister and eighth-grader Josalyn Samuels of Harrisburg, senior Reese Terwilliger of Pierre and senior Macy Drotzmann of Yankton.
The squad is picked by the league's coaches.
Final ESD Standings — The league's complete final standings were not reported. Harrisburg won the league with an 8-0 record. Watertown was second at 7-1.
2022 All-ESD Volleyball Team: Watertown's Paulson, Aberdeen Central's Evans, Kuch named All-ESDhttps://www.thepublicopinion.com/story/sports/2022/11/1
All-Dakota Valley Conference Volleyball
Four-time honoree Julia Trygstad of Oldham-Ramona-Rutland and three-time selections Tevan Erickson of Elkton-Lake Benton, Daniela Lee of Colman-Egan and Sadie Johnson of Estelline-Hendricks lead the All-Dakota Valley Conference volleyball team. All are seniors.
Erickson and Castlewood senior Presley Knecht are the league's co-most valuable players and Colman-Egan's Abigail Dockter the Coach of the Year. Colman-Egan, Estelline-Hendricks and Elkton-Lake Benton shared the league title with 8-1 records.
Other All-DVC selections are seniors Kaylee Voelker and Lanie Mousel of Colman-Egan; senior Kenzy Beare and freshman Presly Bury of Estelline-Hendricks; senior Kylie Ramlo and junior Andrea Renkly of Elkton-Lake Benton; senior Gracie Haug of Castlewood; seniors Harley Johnson and Addalyn Steffensen of Arlington; senior Delaney Pedersen and junior Zoey Molengraaf of Deubrook Area; seniors Rebecca Bich and Faith Steffensen of Iroquois-Lake Preston; seniors Jaycee Tebay and Brianna Lindeman of Dell Rapids St. Mary; and sophomore Hazel Luethmers of De Smet.
Renly, Beare, Haug and Steffensen are also repeat selections from 2022.
Honorable mention honorees are seniors Ella Crofutt of Elkton-Lake Benton and Alivia Bickett of Oldham-Ramona-Rutland; juniors Brooke Johnson of Estelline-Hendricks, Anna Zwart of Colman-Egan, Emerson Carter of Catlewood; Madalynn Bacon of Arlington, Adison Moore of Iroquois-Lake Preston and Mirra Beck of De Smet; and sophomores Matte Bauman of Deubrook Area and Jenna Miller of Dell Rapids St. Mary.
Final Standings — 1. (Tie) Estelline-Hendricks, Colman-Egan and Elkton-Lake Benton, each 8-1l; 4. Castlewood, 6-3; 5. (Tie) Deubrook Area and Arlington, each 4-5; 7. Iroquois-Lake Preston, 12-15; 8. (Tie) Dell Rapids St. Mary and Oldham-Ramona-Rutland, each 2-7; 10, De Smet, 0-9.
All-Lake Region Conference Football
Seven players from conference champion Warner and six from runner-up Faulkton Area have been named to the 2023 All-Lake Region Conference football team.
Warner’s Hunter Cramer is the league's most valuable offensive player and Faulkton Area's Charlie Deiter the league's most valuable defensive player.
Other selections from state Class 9A champion Warner include seniors Brodey Sauerwein and Charlie Dulany, juniors Preston Cavalier and Payton Volk and sophomores Jesiah Baum and Chays Mansfield.
Seniors Garrett Cramer, Layne Cotton, Gus Kopecky and Carlson Leonhardt and sophomore Spencer Melius also made the team from state Class 9B runner-up Faulkton Area.
The squad includes seniors McKinley Kosters, Austin Mantei, Connor Spitzer and Brayden Sumption and junior Gavin Nickelson of Leola-Frederick Area; seniors Trevor Heinz and Chet Peterson, junior Max Kulesa and sophomore Kyle Hettich of Ipswich; and seniors Dustin Dirksen and Landon Braun and junior Dallas Soltenburg of Northwestern.
Honorable mention selections are senior Levi Little of Leola-Frederick Area, juniors Devon Fischbach of Warner and Lincoln Dikoff of Faulkton Area and sophomore Casey Geditz of Ipswich.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Area players honored on area all-conference volleyball and football teams
